We’re pleased to premiere the new video from Small Town Jones. ‘Better Days’ is upbeat and uplifting, elevated by a compelling, warm rhythm section, featuring Dave Smales’ smooth upright bass and drums from Mike Reed, who also supplied keys and produced the song. We can all associate with Jim Jones’ words and this familiar feeling, this sense of displacement in our own world: “Not feeling myself today // Can’t seem to find my way // Head full of catastrophe // What is happening to me?” Jim’s engaging vocal and ear for a catchy melody turn it into a heartfelt anthem for getting better.
The accompanying video, created by John Chapple, was filmed on location in grounds and woodlands of the beautiful Broomhill sculpture Gardens near Jim’s home in Devon. Chapple, a long-time friend and LA-based photographer, used drones and handheld cameras to capture the footage, which includes Jim drifting between sleep and wakefulness and Ollie Chapple as The Wolf Boy. The images of the natural world and Jim’s false awakening are brilliantly-shot and the video’s dreamlike feel enhances the song – it’s an entertaining and artistic endeavour in its own right. Jim told AUK: “Sitting up in bed in a remote woodland would be enough to scare anyone but with the added fear that you might not be alone adds to the tongue in cheek drama. Running but not escaping the film lightly references the dream sequence from John Landis’ American Werewolf in London but with a much friendlier (and trendier) lycanthrope.”
‘Better Days’ is taken from the upcoming album ‘Kintsugi’, which is due for release in May 2024. Definitely one to look out for. In the meantime, enjoy the dream-sequence cinematography of ‘Better Days’.
